RobbertPatrison
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- Joined
- Mar 24, 2022
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- Location
- Silicon Valley, California
- Vehicles
- Ice White Mustang Mach-E
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Construction:
- The rear hatch of the MME ER AWD is entirely constructed using plastic, so magnetic bumper stickers won't stick anywhere on the back.
- Rubber tubes along the left and right sides of the rear hatch act as pinch sensors, which stop the electric motor from closing to prevent fingers from getting squeezed.
- The hood and front fenders are made of aluminum to reduce weight, while the doors are constructed with conventional steel. Other electric vehicles such as Teslas and Chevy Bolt use aluminum for their doors to save weight. On the other hand, steel doesn't dent as easily and is easier to repair. The rest of the car body is made from steel of various strength grades.
- The MME ER AWD weighs 4838 lbs (2190 kg), which is 6% heavier than a Tesla Model Y LR AWD. The main difference is that the MME has a larger and heavier battery.
- The doors, frunk, and hatch can only be opened electronically. In the event of a dead 12V battery, the only way to open the doors is by powering the car with an external 12V source using the hidden wire in the right front. If the car is stranded with a dying battery, it is better to not close the doors as it will be hard to get in.
- The brake pedal of the MME blends regenerative braking with conventional friction braking, making normal 2-pedal driving as efficient as 1-pedal driving. A computer-controlled brake feel simulator ensures a seamless transition between the two braking methods. This technology is also used by other electric and hybrid vehicles, with Tesla as the only exception.
- During normal driving, all braking is done regeneratively for maximum efficiency. Friction brake pads are rarely used unless driving aggressively. There is no difference between 1-pedal and 2-pedal driving. The only way to clean the brake rotors is to brake aggressively.
- The MME is primarily rear-wheel drive, following the Mustang tradition. The rear motor is 4 times stronger than the front motor in the all-wheel drive models.
- When driving above 20 MPH, only the rear motor is used for accelerating and regenerative braking. Unless the pedal is pushed to the metal, the front motor in AWD MMEs will remain idle. It is weird how little the front motor is actually used in practice.
- At low speeds below 20 MPH, the front motor aids in both regenerative braking and acceleration, reducing the risk of losing grip or wheel spin. The distribution of low-speed regenerative braking is divided equally between the front and rear motors.
- The MME utilizes a single electric PTC heater that serves both the battery and cabin. This is an uncommon design, as most electric vehicles have separate heaters for the battery and cabin. As a result, cabin heat may be temporarily reduced during charging while the battery heats up. Additionally, the air conditioning system may be activated to prevent over-temperature in the cabin. The plumbing in the MME contains a whopping 30 meters of rubber tubes, which is 3 times more than a Tesla. More under-the-hood details are in this thread.
- Due to the lack of a heat pump and poor insulation in the cabin with a glass roof, the MME experiences a range loss of over 30% in winter conditions, which is higher than other EVs.
- The battery is heated and cooled using a rather complex plumbing system. An AC compressor chills water to remove excess heat when the temperature reaches above 34C. To run DCFC in the cold, the battery must be heated to at least 18C before it can handle the maximum 150kW charging speed. More technical details are in this thread.
- The interface between the battery and the rest of the car is done with the High-Voltage-Junction-Box (HVJB). Quite a few owners have experienced problems with that module due to broken contactors. The root cause is likely high sustained current causing overheating. Details are in this thread.
- The MME uses no less than five radars. The radar located below the license plate in the front grille detects the distance to the preceding vehicle and is used for adaptive cruise control. Radars in the left and right front bumpers detect front cross-traffic and perform emergency braking. Two radars in the rear bumper activate the blind spot detection lights in the mirrors and perform rear cross-traffic detection. The high-tech in the bumpers can make fender benders quite expensive.
- The MME also has 5 cameras. The one in the windshield does the lane, obstacle, and speed limit detection. Four cameras make the 360-degree parking aid. The front bumper camera is equipped with a retractable spray for cleaning with windshield wiper fluid. However, the rear camera lacks this feature.
- BlueCruise utilizes the front camera to detect lane markers and the center radar to maintain a safe distance from the preceding vehicle. However, it does not utilize the other four radars to detect surrounding vehicles, resulting in occasional close proximity to neighboring cars. Additionally, the system does not utilize ultrasonic sensors or 360-degree cameras during operation. Note that BlueCruise is basically just hands-free lane centering.
- There is a special heat-blocking coating on the windshield and glass roof that may partially block millimeter radio waves for GPS and cell phone reception. Toll transponders should be mounted in the black-shaded areas of the windshield, where the coating is not applied.
- The speed limit is read from an internal database using GPS data and augmented with the windshield camera that performs speed limit sign detection. The menu provides an option to set the cruise control speed automatically using this limit. This system is not perfect. Occasionally it leads to sudden acceleration or slowdown.
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